In sports betting, there is more than one way to win. Some people believe that the inning winner is the best method for assessing the outcome of a sporting event. The reason for this is that it removes the element of luck from the equation. If you are unfamiliar, ‘inning’ is the division of a game in which each team gets to bat once. The last batter of the inning is declared the winner. This type of wagering can be used to decide which teams are most likely to score the most runs during a game, which team will hit the most home runs, and so on.
In my opinion, there is more than one way to skin a cat, so I don’t consider it cheating to value an inning based on its results. However, with that said, the inning winner is certainly not perfect. There are many situations in which it can go wrong. Here are some of the most common scenarios along with some suggested solutions.
Scenario 1: The First and Third Inning Have Opposite Betting Results
Let’s say that you’re watching the Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners game and, at the beginning of the third inning, you decide to make a wager on which team will win the game. You put $100 on Texas to win and the ballgame is tied 1-1. At this point, you’re feeling pretty good about your decision because the Rangers have only one run on the board and the Mariners hit a homer in the second inning. You’re also aware that, historically, the third inning of a regular baseball game tends to slow down. With the ball being dead and no one on base, the odds of the Rangers winning are about 80%.
Then, in the bottom of the third, the M’s score two runs and the game finishes in a 5-1 win for Seattle. You’re feeling pretty bad because you wagered on the wrong team! The solution to this is simple: You can bet on the under or you can switch your bet to the over. You’ll still win (obviously) because you placed a bet on the weaker team, but at least you’ll feel better about it.
Scenario 2: The First and Third Inning Are Both Victories For The Betting Party
Let’s say that you want to bet on the Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers game and you decide to follow the same procedure as earlier: You bet $100 on the Royals and the game ends in a 6-1 win for Detroit. Then, in the third inning, the Tigers score a run and the Royals answer back with two of their own. You’re feeling pretty good about your decision because the Tigers are a great team and you get a victory in the game that you followed. Unfortunately, the situation is a little different. The third inning is a tie game and the runners from both teams are on base. The odds of the game becoming a tie are 1 in 16. Too risky! Better to switch your bet to the over or to keep your original wager and wait for another opportunity to bet on the Royals.
Scenario 3: The First Inning Is A Tie Game, But The Third Inning Is A Defeat For The Betting Party
Let’s say that you want to bet on the Toronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles game and you decide to put $100 on Toronto. You root for the Orioles because they’re your fellow Americans, but they’re not very good and you know that they’re going to lose. In the bottom of the first inning, neither team scores as the umpire calls the game a 1-1 tie. Then, in the third inning, the Blue Jays score three runs, but the O’s score two runs of their own to make it a 6-4 loss for Toronto. You’re feeling pretty bad about your decision because you wagered on the wrong team. The solution is simple: You can bet on the under or you can switch your bet to the over.
Scenario 4: Two Inning Wins For The Betting Party, But One Is More Than A Two-Peat
Let’s say that you want to bet on the Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays game and you decide to have a $500 wager on the over. In the top of the second inning, the O’s score two runs and the umpire calls the game a 2-0 win for Baltimore. In the bottom of the second, the Blue Jays score three runs and the umpire calls it a 3-2 win for Toronto. You’re feeling pretty good about your decision because you wagered on the superior team and got two winning inning bets. However, the situation is a little different. The first inning was a tie game and the second was a 2-1 victory for Toronto. You can bet on the under or you can switch your wager to the over.
Scenario 5: Third Inning Is A One-Run Win For The Betting Party, But The First And Second Inning Are Doubles
Let’s say that you want to bet on the Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets game and you decide to have a $400 wager on the over. You root for the Cubs because they’re your favorite team and they’re in the playoff race, but the Mets are hot on their heels. In the top of the third inning, the Cubs score a lone run and the umpire calls the game a 1-1 tie. In the bottom of the third, the Mets score two runs, but the Cubs answer with two of their own to make it a 4-2 win for the Cubs. You’re feeling pretty good about your decision because you wagered on the superior team and got two wins in a row. Then, in the fourth inning, the Mets hit a three-run homer and the game ends 7-4 in favor of New York. You’re feeling pretty bad because you wagered on the wrong team and got a triple-double (three inning wins, two doubles). The solution is simple: You can bet on the under or you can switch your bet to the over.
Scenario 6: One Inning Loss, But The Whole Game Is A One-Run Win For The Betting Party
Let’s say that you want to bet on the Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets game and you decided to stake $200 on the under. The game ends in a 5-5 tie in the top of the ninth inning. The umpire calls the game a standoff and neither team wins the game. However, in the tenth inning, the Cubs hit a walk-off homer and you get a single inning victory. You’re feeling pretty good about your decision because you got a single win in the whole game. Then, in the bottom of the tenth, the Mets hit a walk-off homer and you lose the game. You’re feeling bad because you lost the game that you thought would be an easy win. You can bet on the under or you can switch your bet to the over.
Scenario 7: The First Inning Is A One-Run Loss, But The Game Ends In A Tie
Let’s say that you want to bet on the New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game and you decide to have $100 on the over. You root for the Red Sox because they’re your fellow Americans and you think that they’re going to win. In the top of the first inning, neither team scores as the umpire calls the game a 1-1 tie. Then, in the bottom of the first, the Yanks hit a solo homer and the game ends in a 2-1 Yankees victory. You’re feeling pretty good about your decision because you wagered on the superior team and got a victory in the game that you followed. Then, in the second inning, the Red Sox hit a bomb that sails over the left field wall and you lose the game 5-4 in extra innings. You’re feeling bad because you thought that the Red Sox were going to beat the Yankees.
The conclusion from these examples is that, inning winner betting, just like any other type of betting, can produce extremely positive results if done right. However, it can also be quite the opposite if done wrong. The key is to know what your options are and to use them wisely. If you follow this approach, you may just find that, sometimes, the best thing you can do for your betting experience is to sit on the bleachers and cheer on your favorite teams.